After being held out of the Blueshirts’ matchup with the Predators Sunday night at Madison Square Garden for roster management purposes, Reilly Smith will also miss action against the Islanders.
The right wing is being held out with another trade likely coming. Recent teammates of Ryan Lindgren, Jimmy Vesey were traded to the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for the Blueshirts acquiring Calvin de Haan and Juuso Parssinen.
No surprise but Reilly Smith will be held out again for tonight’s #NYR-#Isles game
— Mollie Walker (@MollieeWalkerr) March 3, 2025
But with Smith out, who will be missing in action for the Islanders against the Rangers in the Monday night matchup of the Battle of New York?
Roster Adjustments for the New York Islanders
Is it payback time? The New York Islanders will look to extend their winning streak to three games when they visit Madison Square Garden on Monday night for a matchup with the New York Rangers. However, it has only been nearly a week after the Blueshirts blew out the Isles 5-1 at UBS Arena on Feb. 25.
Meanwhile, the Rangers (29-23-6) enter the matchup after a dominant 4-0 shutout win over the Predators on Sunday night behind goaltender Jonathan Quick's 800th career game and third shutout of the season.
Anthony Duclair and Pierre Engvall will be healthy scratches as the Isles will dress 11 forwards and seven defensemen. Jean-Gabriel Pageau is expected to skate alongside Anders Lee and Bo Horvat, while Maxim Tsyplakov will slot in on a line with Casey Cizikas and Hudson Fasching.
Why will these lineup adjustments and thus the contest's results be so important?
The Rangers have won both games so far in the series this season, and the Islanders are looking for their first win at MSG in over three visits (0-3-1). The season series will wrap up on April 10 at UBS Arena.
This is a crucial game in the standings that will swing playoff projections for both teams ahead of Friday's trade deadline. The Rangers trail the Detroit Red Wings by two points for the final Eastern Conference playoffs spot, while the Isles are five points back with one game in hand.